Thursday, April 21, 2005

A Transparent Ploy

An Albanian blog calling itself "Balkan Update" (sic!) posted a particularly revolting bit of speculation Wednesday. Under the title "Serbia trying to stir chaos in Kosovo," the autor - someone named FeFe - speculates that the bombing attack on Rugova, the killing of Enver Haradinaj, and the bombing of Veton Surroi's offices are all to blame on Serbian intelligence.

Serbian spies have long been the phantoms of grim tales told to scare Albanians, Croats, or Muslims into obedience. Albanians and their partisans (such as the ICG, and even the US government) have long alleged the existence of "Serb paramilitaries" in Kosovo, going so far as to suggest the Mitrovica "bridge watchers" were actually Serbian plainclothes police. None of these stories have ever been substantiated.

Were Serbia an organized state with a strong, decisive government independent from foreign control and meddling, it would absolutely make sense for it to engage in covert operations in the occupied territories of Kosovo and Metohija [marked "Kosova" in bright green on the map FeFe features]. The occupation is all the motive it needs. However, Serbia is not the kind of state just described. It is weak, poor, controlled by a shaky, feeble-minded coalition government and riddled with Imperial "advisors" and "observers." Between the Hague Inquisition, DOS and the current NATO lobbyist as Defense Minister, its military has been gutted. Police, too. And thanks to the current foreign minister's jihad against security services, they aren't in good shape either. So while there may be a motive, there are no means. Not to mention no human resources to conduct such activity.

Ah, but the Albanian blogger has it all figured out. See,

The Serb Intelligence community has continued to maintain a relationship with those previous Albanians [sic] whom it calls “loyal citizens”.

This is nothing less than a call for a witch hunt among the Albanians who may not be vocal supporters of the independence cause. Many have been killed already on mere suspicion of "collaboration"; Haradinaj and his siblings in particular were known for killing "traitors."But before there is an Albanian Inquisition, let's consider one other possibility, offered by Occam's razor as the simplest and most likely explanation: Hashim Taqi. No one from Taqi's party (DPK) was targeted in the attacks. They have attacked Rugova's and Haradinaj's people before. The DPK has been excluded from power - and thus cut off from access to outside funding - by Rugova and Haradinaj since last winter. Most KLA veterans are members of the DPK. The KLA is a terrorist movement, specializing in assasinations and bombings. And they sure have plenty of resources on the ground.

So there's the means, there's the opportunity, what about motive? Well, "FeFe" actually offers it up, when he accuses "Serb Intelligence." The attacks serve as a way for Taqi to pressure and intimidate his opponents, Albanians get angry and start purging "loyalists," and Serbs get the blame. As far as the KLA is concerned, this is a close to a perfect ploy as it gets.

Well, except for the pesky little fact that it's all so transparent, anyway.